The invention relates to an adjustable osteotomy guide. More particularly, the invention relates to a device that facilitates making controlled and parallel cuts into a bone by inserting a pair of guide pins to the bone in a parallel orientation near a desired cut and providing at least a visual guide for the operation of a saw blade in making a parallel cut.
A variety of surgical techniques require bone cutting. The success of many of these surgical techniques can rely on the precision with which a cut is made. Further, certain surgical cuts require a series of parallel cuts. However, it is often difficult for a surgeon to maintain a precise angular relationship between several cuts.
Further, often a reciprocating saw is used to make such cuts. However, considerable risks are inherent with using any powered cutting tool within the human body. At a minimum, a wandering cut can cause unnecessary trauma to surrounding tissue and can increase patient recovery time. Further, an imprecise cut can detract from the success of the surgery and thereby thwart the goals of the surgery. Still further, an uncontrolled movement can easily cause severe injury to the patient. Thus, it is highly desirable to carefully guide the saw when it is used during surgery.
Others have proposed devices that seek to guide a saw blade when within the human body. Such guides are often one sided—allowing some directional control and providing some stability. Accordingly, some of these devices will often allow relatively controlled cuts. However, many of these guides do not sufficiently restrain the saw blade to prevent mishaps, and do not provide sufficient guidance to a surgeon to allow multiple parallel cuts to be made.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,565 to Huebener discloses an osteotomy method and apparatus. The system of Huebener is intended for creating a transverse cut and is most suitable for use in correcting angular deformities. However, Huebener does not allow control over the length of the cut. Accordingly, Huebener is most suitable for making ‘open ended’ cuts, rather than cuts of a precise length bounded on both sides by bone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,973 to Neufeld discloses a method and apparatus for corrective osteotomy. Neufeld uses an arcuate hand saw in proximity to a guide pin to create an arcuate cut. However, Neufeld is only suitable for making a curved cut concentric with the guide pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,364 to Comparetto discloses an osteotomy saw, which is moveable within it's own arcuate slot that is anchored to the bone. However, Comparetto does not allow for precise control of the length of the cut, and is only intended for making arcuate cuts.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.